This is the airspace of Ukraine 0:40
(CNN) --
Airspace and travel to Ukraine is currently closed in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine's neighbor Vltava has also closed its airspace, as has part of Belarus.
Meanwhile, the US government's Federal Aviation Administration (FDA) has told American pilots to avoid "the entire country of Ukraine, the entire country of Belarus, and a western part of Russia."
The UK has banned Russian civilian aircraft from entering its airspace.
In response, Russia banned British planes from entering its airspace.
Some commercial airlines, including Lufthansa and Air France, had already suspended flights to Ukraine earlier this week as tensions rose.
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Several countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, have advised their citizens to leave Ukraine.
The US government issued a travel advisory on February 12 warning against travel to Ukraine "due to growing threats of Russian military action" as well as ongoing concerns about covid-19.
The UK government also advised against all travel to Ukraine, explaining that "trade routes out of Ukraine are likely to be severely disrupted and roads through Ukraine to be closed."
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, has warned of a "high risk" for civil aircraft flying near the Ukrainian border.
Here's what we know about how travel in Eastern Europe and Russia could be affected in the wake of the conflict.
Can I still take trips to Eastern Europe?
Air traffic continues to move out of severely affected areas.
In addition to bordering Russia, Ukraine also borders Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said "operators must exercise extreme caution" and avoid using airspace within 100 nautical miles of the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Moldova has closed its airspace, while Belarus has banned flights over part of the country.
All countries bordering Ukraine were already on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Tier 4 list of highest-risk travel destinations for Covid-19.
The US government also warns against traveling to Belarus and Moldova due to the conflict.
Florida-based travel consultant Gwen Kozlowski, a Central European travel specialist and president of travel agency Exeter International, told CNN Travel on February 24 that her agency has received questions from travelers about upcoming trips to Poland. , but so far there have been no cancellations.
"We have customers traveling at the end of March and into April in Poland, but that's more than a month. It's impossible to say now how this will play out. We're basically in wait-and-see mode," Kozlowski said via email.
My flight is supposed to fly over Ukrainian airspace.
Will it be diverted?
(LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
If you are flying on a route that would normally cross the currently blocked airspace, the airline will reroute the flight.
Images from February 24 from the ADS-B Exchange aircraft tracker showed empty airspace over Ukraine and its border with Russia.
"For aviation, safety is always the top priority," Willie Walsh, director general of the airline industry body the International Air Transport Association, said in a statement provided to CNN Travel on February 24.
"IATA is helping to facilitate and timely exchange of information with airlines from government and non-government sources to support airlines as they plan their operations around the closure of airspace in Ukraine and parts of Russia."
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Can I still travel to Russia?
Russian airspace on the border with Ukraine is closed to civilian flights.
There are also some restrictions on domestic flights within Russia.
The UK banned Russian civilian aircraft from entering its airspace and over its territorial sea from February 24 to May 23.
Russian airline Aeroflot usually operates direct flights between Moscow and London-Heathrow and Gatwick, according to its website.
In response, on February 25, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, imposed a ban on UK-registered flights, as well as aircraft owned, leased or operated by a person associated with the UK. , to transit through Russian airspace.
The US State Department issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for Russia in January citing "continued tension along the border with Ukraine, the potential for harassment against US citizens, the embassy's limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia," as well as COVID-19 and other factors.
The UK's advice to its citizens from February 24 was more specific, advising against all but essential travel to certain Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
The UK government also details information about increased restrictions and disruptions on Russian domestic flights, as well as warnings about increased police presence and identity checks.
Canadian citizens are advised to avoid traveling to regions of Russia bordering Ukraine.
"Most of our travelers from Russia seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach at the moment, but of course this could change depending on how events unfold," travel agent Kozlowski told CNN Travel via email on Thursday. February 24th.
Meanwhile, popular travel author Rick Steves, who organizes tours of Europe, announced Thursday that he will cancel tours in Russia for the rest of the year due to the invasion of Ukraine.
"Our mission in (Rick Steves' Europe) is to help Americans understand the world through travel," Steves tweeted.
“But when we bring travelers to Russia, we also bring their dollars, dollars that would support Putin's aggression.
We have now canceled all 2022 tours to Russia."
How long will travel be affected?
The situation in Ukraine is advancing rapidly.
It is not clear how long the airspace over Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus or Russia will be affected.
According to the UK government's travel advisory, restrictions on domestic flights in Russia are currently in place until March 2.
Conflict Russia - Ukraine
